RE: Autorotation
As odd as it seems, autorotation is about finding the best balance between head speed and lift. Past a certain point, additional head speed means that you're falling faster than you have to fall. On the other hand if you're not giving enough negative pitch, your rotor will slow and stall. The trick is finding the happy medium. I know that this is difficult when autorotation times are measured in seconds. It does help to have forward speed, but even at best, your "glide angle" will be about 45 degrees, and your drop speed will be heart-stopping. At the end, you're trading rotor energy for a smooth stop.